Our hearts broke at the news last evening and our world will never be the same. For all that you brought to us and all that we will never know because of your passing, I thought I'd show you a picture of my daughter Easton with her trusty iPad. It changed our lives and opened her mind and imagination to possibility.

At first, I was scared when I received the iPad as a gift – the technically-challenged are always the most resistant. Not Easton though. She seemed to speak your language right off the bat. Actually, all the children seem to grasp your vision with ease. She showed me the light and the way into your world ... or at least the one we were privileged to benefit from. Together we have grown closer through learning, interacting and being entertained by your inventions.

I'll venture to say we may even be the most popular house in Venice, Calif., because of Easton's iPad. Oftentimes, we'll hear her friends chant – almost in unison! – upon seeing us at school or in the neighborhood, "I want to play with Easton's iPad, Mommy!"

They are crazy about you, Steve! All because of the exposure to the tremendous world of knowledge and imagination that you've put at their fingertips. You've empowered them to learn because they want to and not because we are telling them to. Not to mention they are able to move through your world far better than we ever could, and with a familiarity that's brilliant.

I'll often see a pair of noses hovering above the iPad, absorbed in all that you took the time to create, whether it is the universe of books, languages, art, media or music. Easton has already learned bits of French, Spanish and Chinese, discovered what media is through the expansive art programs, read from the library of available books, developed her recognition skills, identified words, become more confident about letters and numbers.

Her mind has blossomed. She is light-years ahead of who I was at 3½. And despite my initial inability to be graceful and skilled in the world of technology, I too have overcome what intimated me through Easton and her iPad.

Your suffering pained us, and we are praying for you and your family at this difficult time.

Elisabeth Röhm is best known for her role on Law & Order and is currently appearing in the thriller Abduction.